Tinubu names ex-DSS boss Bichi to chair NISS governing board

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Yusuf Bichi, who led the Department of State Services (DSS) until August 2024, as chairman of the governing board of the National Institute for Security Studies (NISS) in Abuja.

The institute announced the move on Thursday in a statement by its Director of Coordination and Liaison, Lilian Omo-Odigwe. The statement was also shared on the DSS account on X.

According to the institute, the president acted on the recommendation of the current DSS Director-General, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi.

The appointment took effect on Thursday, 22 October 2026, and runs for an initial four years. The institute said it follows Section 4 of the National Institute for Security Studies (Establishment) Act, 2019.

Bichi takes over the board from A.A. Gadzama. He stepped down as DSS Director-General in August 2024 and handed over to Ajayi.

Why it matters

The NISS is the federal training ground for senior security and intelligence officers, and its board sets the direction for how those officers are prepared. For ordinary Nigerians, the calibre of that training feeds into how security agencies handle the country's many challenges, from banditry and kidnapping to communal clashes.

Putting a former head of the DSS in charge of the board keeps the institute close to the service he once ran. The institute said his background in intelligence, security administration, operational leadership and institutional training would shape how he oversees its affairs.

Bichi's career began in the Security Division of the Kano State Cabinet Office before he moved to the DSS in 1984, according to the statement.

The announcement did not say when the board will hold its first meeting or what its immediate priorities will be.

What happens next

Bichi is expected to settle into the chair and work with the institute's leadership for the four-year term. The statement gave no details on other board members or on any changes at the institute.